Transversely-divided boot or shoe last and union therefor.



No. 697,044. Patented Apr. 8, I902.

A. n. TYLER, 1R.

TBANSVERSELY DIVIDED BOOT 0R SHOE LAST AND UNION THEREFOR.

Application filed July 26, 1901. v (No Model.)

UNTTED STATES PATENT ()FEICE.

ABEL D. TYLER, JR., OF BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TRANSVERSELY-DIVIDED BOOT OR SHOE LAST AND UNION THEREFOR.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 697,044, dated April 8, 1902.

Application filed July 26, 1901' Serial NO. 695768. (No model.)

T0 to whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABEL D. TYLER, J r., a citizen of the United State's,residing at Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Transversely-Divided Boot or Shoe Lasts and Unions There for, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad therein to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is an elevation of the inside of a last embodying my invention, a portion of the inside of the last being broken away in part for greater clearness. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the outer side of the last, the outer side of the last being broken away in part for greater clearness. Fig. 3 is a .top plan view of the last, the upper portion of the heel part and the comb..and instep portion being broken away for greater clearness, and particularly to show the pair of flanged disks and intermediate separator, said disks and separator constituting my new union for connecting the fore part and heel part. Fig. 4: is a lengthwise section of the heel part and fore part at line 4 4 of Fig. 3, the union being removed so as to show the configuration of the unionreceiving chamber, which is partially in the heel part and partially in the fore part. Fig. 5 is a diametrical section of the pair of flanged disks and separator which constitute my new union. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a portion of the inner end of the fore part.

The object of myinvention is to produce a strong, durable, transversely-divided last or comparable device which is cheaper to manufacturers than those now in use.

In the drawings illustrating the principle of my invention and the best mode now known to me of applying that principle, 1 is the heel part and 2 the fore part, the fore part and heel part being relatively movable one in relation to another to shorten the last when a boot, shoe, or the like is put on ortaken off the last. The heel part 1 is shown with the usual spindle-socket 3,the purpose and uses of which are too well known to require description. The fore part and heel part are divided from the apex a of the usual top recess 5, which permits the swinging movement of the reciprocal bearing-surfaces and give requisite solidity to the last as a whole to enable it to withstand the pressures to which it is subjected when a shoe is on it and the shoe is operated on by such machines as sole-levelers, boaters-out, time. The apex 4 is about half-way down to the bottom of the last, so that the last will be self-sustaining in respect of endwise pressures thereon in a manner already well known to those skilled in this art.

Heretofore the fore parts and heel parts have been commonly connected by hinges of various kinds, and also, as shown in my Patent No.655,31. 1, of August 7, 1900, by a ring.

shaped guide. The latter construction is cheaper to make than any hinged construc-' at the flange S of both flanged disks 9 9,

which are of any suitable material-such as pressed steel, for example. Each opposite side wall 10 10 of recess 7 is formed with a circular groove 11, in which a portion of each flange Sis received, preferably snugly, so that the flanges and therewith contacting walls of the grooves 11 will have frictional engagement when all the parts of the last are assembled and the fore part and heel part are in alinement and the last is subjected to pressures tending to collapse it. The snug contact of the walls of grooves 11 with the flanges 8 will then tend to resist accidental collapsing of the lasts. fore part 2 is formed with a recess 12, which extends toward the toe of the fore part, is opposed to recess 7, and is of a width corresponding thereto. Each opposite side wall 13 of recess 12 is formed wit-h a circular The inner end of the found the dowels essential and do not regard dowel-receiving recesses 18 tends to prevent groove 14, which corresponds to and is, in ef feet, a continuation of the circular groove 11 in the heel part. The heel part recess 7 and two grooves 11, with the corresponding fore part recess 12, and two grooves 14, form a chamber that receives my new union, comprising the two flanged disks 9 and intermediate separator 15, the flange 8 of each disk being mounted in the supplementary grooves 11 and 14. Separator 15 is a snug fit between the opposed walls of the disks 9, so that the disks are held snugly in place, with their respective flanges extending toward opposite sides of the last when the parts thereof are assembled. The separator is put in from the upper side of the last after the flanged disks are mounted, with the flanges in the flangereceiving grooves, and, if desired, the disks and intermediate separator may be secured together by the transverse fastener 16, conveniently inserted after the parts are assembled through the transverse opening at apex 4, in which a dowel 19 may be placed. I have not, however, found this fastener to be essential.

If desired, transverse dowels 19 may be mounted at or below the apex 4 of the top recess 5 on one or the other of the contacting end walls of the fore part and heel part, such dowels projecting beyond the surface of the end wallon which theyarefixed and fittinginto corresponding recesses 18 in the face of the opposed end wall. By this means the fore part and heel part engage one with the other when brought intoalinement, and the engagement of the transverse dowels with the deformation of the last in consequence of any twisting strains to which they may be subjected when in use; but I have not thus far them as a necessary part of my invention.

The fore part and heel part are guided, when moved one in relation to the other, by the circular flanges of the disks, the walls of the complementary flange-receiving recesses bearing on the flanges. Somewhat forcible separation of the disks by the intermediate separator helps to maintain the rigidity of the last by forcing the outward walls of the disks against the side walls '10 and 13 of th recesses 7 and 12.

considered, it will be seen that there is in my present last a very considerable extent of frictional contacting surface that tends to maintain the fore part and heel part in alinement when the shoeis on the last'and the last is subjected to strains that'tend to collapse it. The pressure of the outward sides of the disks on portions of the fore part and heel part forminga flatwise disk-pressure and the reciprocal bind of the disk flanges and walls of the flange-receiving grooves form a very strong frictional resistance to collapsing strains, and what may be called the flatwise pressure of the disks is peculiarly useful in lasts and the like, because the latter are almost always made of wood, which is so cut that the grain extends in the direction of the length of the last, as indicated, and inasmuch as the flatwise pressure of the outward sides of the disks is at right angles to the grain there is much less liability of splitting my new lasts than there is in many older forms of lasts where strains tending to split the lasts were sometimes exerted on. the hinge-leaves inserted, respectively, in fore part and heel part and extending lengthwise of the last in approximate parallelism with the bottom of last and with the grain of the wood. Generally speaking, the relative movements of the fore part and heel part are to shorten the all transversely-divided lasts.

The walls 10 and 13 are at right angles to cross-sections of the lastthat is,--to the last cross-sectionally consideredand in approximate parallelism with the sides of the last.

'Having thus described the best form of my invention now known to me, I desire to be understood as claiming my invention in the broadest manner legally permissible.

What I claim is 1. The combination of the fore part and heel part of a boot or shoe last, or analogous device, with a flanged disk which is mounted in recesses in said parts, connects said parts and permits movement of one part in relation to the other part; and means for keeping said flanged disk in working position.

2. The combination of the fore part and heel part of a boot or shoe last, or analogous device, with a pair of flanged disks which are mounted in recesses in said parts, connect said parts and permit movement of one part in relation to the other part; and a separator inserted between said disks.

3. The combination of the fore part and heel part of a boot or shoe last, or analogous device, with a union which is mounted inresists said relative movements of the fore part I union eomprisingapair of flanged disks and a and heel part, and tends to prevent aeeidenseparator. I0 tal collapsing of the last, said union compris- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature ing a pair of flanged disks, and. said recesses in presence of two Witnesses.

5 being formed with flange-receiving recesses, ABEL D. TYLER, JR.

whereby the heel part and fore part are held Witnesses: in operative relation with each other. EDWARD S. BEACH,

4. A union for boot and shoe lasts, said M. E. COVENEY. 

